Alison J. Wirtz

QualTek Services Inc. — Representation of QualTek Services Inc. and its subsidiaries in their Chapter 11 cases in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas. QualTek is a provider of infrastructure services and renewable energy project solutions to the North American telecommunications and power industries. With Kirkland’s assistance, QualTek’s fully consensual comprehensive restructuring will reduce the company’s total debt by nearly half, from approximately $625 million to approximately $318 million, substantially increase QualTek’s cash on hand, and strengthen its liquidity position.

Celsius Network LLC — Representing Celsius Network LLC and its affiliates in their Chapter 11 cases filed in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York. Celsius is one of the largest and most sophisticated cryptocurrency-based finance platforms in the world and provides financial services to institutional, corporate, and retail clients across more than 100 countries.

PSS Industrial Group — Represented Prowler Super Holding Corp. and its subsidiaries (PSS Industrial Group), an oilfield services provider and value-added distributor in the energy and industrial industries, in connection with its out-of-court restructuring, including a complete deleveraging of over $320 million in funded debt through a UCC Article 9 foreclosure and a $55 million new money equity rights offering to fund future business growth. The consummated transaction contemplates payment in full of all vendors, suppliers and other business partners and uninterrupted fulfillment of all customer obligations. 

Frontera Generation Holdings LLC — Represented Frontera Generation Holdings LLC and five of its affiliates in their prearranged Chapter 11 cases filed in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas. Frontera owns and operates the only U.S.-based power plant that sells all of its 526MW/year power production to the Mexican wholesale market. The restructuring, which had nearly-universal lender support, enabled Frontera to obtain $70 million of new liquidity through a DIP-to-exit facility, slash more than $850 million of its $944 million debt load, and pay its trade claims in full.

Arena Energy, L.P. — Represented Arena Energy, L.P., which filed a prepackaged Chapter 11 case in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas to pursue a sale of its assets as a going-concern. The sale — which is supported by Arena’s first-lien revolving lenders and second-lien term lenders — will restructure more than $1 billion in funded indebtedness and address over $500 million of plugging and abandonment liabilities.

Technicolor S.A. — Represented Technicolor S.A. (“Technicolor”), a Paris-based global leader in content creation to distribution for Hollywood studios, independent filmmakers, music producers, and video game and software developers in its Chapter 15 proceeding pending before the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas. The Chapter 15 proceeding is part of a comprehensive restructuring strategy to raise €420 million in new financing and refinance Technicolor’s existing $477.8 million and €977 million of funded debt through an accelerated financial safeguard proceeding under French law. Technicolor and its subsidiaries together employ more than 14,000 artists, experts, engineers, and innovators operating in 27 key media markets worldwide, including the United States, Canada, France, and the United Kingdom.

PGX Holdings, Inc. — Represented PGX Holdings, Inc. and its subsidiaries (“PGX”), a leading credit-repair service provider, in an out-of-court restructuring transaction that extended the maturity of PGX’s funded debt by three years, raised new capital, and maintained the equity stake of its sponsor. This amend-and-extend transaction was executed with 100% lender consent and will give PGX runway to navigate uncertainties concerning general macroeconomic trends and ongoing high-stakes litigation.

Dura Automotive Systems, LLC — Representing Dura Automotive Systems, LLC and certain of its subsidiaries (“Dura”), a leading independent designer and manufacturer of automotive systems, including mechatronic systems, exterior systems, and lightweight structural systems, in their Chapter 11 cases. As of its Chapter 11 filing, Dura and its affiliates had operations in thirteen countries with sales from its three main product segments generating approximately $1.1 billion in 2018.

Hollander Sleep Products, LLC — Represented Hollander Sleep Products, LLC and certain of its affiliates, a leading bedding products manufacturer and wholesaler, specializing in pillows, comforters, mattress pads and foam products, in connection with their prearranged Chapter 11 restructuring in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York.

Cobalt International Energy, Inc. — Represented Cobalt International Energy, Inc., and its subsidiaries in their Chapter 11 cases in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas. Cobalt was an independent offshore exploration and production company with assets in the deepwater U.S. Gulf of Mexico and offshore West Africa with approximately $2.8 billion of funded indebtedness. Cobalt entered Chapter 11 to complete a sale of all or substantially all of its oil and gas assets and, after an auction, received winning bids for an aggregate purchase price of approximately $580 million. Cobalt also successfully settled arbitration regarding a failed sale of its Angola assets for approximately $500 million. After a hotly contested plan process, the bankruptcy court confirmed Cobalt’s Chapter 11 plan in April 2018.

Toys“R”Us, Inc. ― Represented Toys “R” Us, Inc. and several of its direct and indirect subsidiaries in one of the largest ever retail Chapter 11 filings in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, Richmond Division. Following implementation of a strategy to effect a successful wind-down of operations in the United States and going concern sales and/or reorganizations of operations throughout the world, including Asia, led efforts to construct and implement global settlement agreements amongst all stakeholders and five distinct Chapter 11 plans.

Walter Investment Management Corp. — Represented an ad hoc group of term loan lenders to Walter Investment Management in connection with that company’s on-going, out-of-court restructuring.

Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP, Summer 2015; 2016–2017

Gerchen Keller Capital, LLC, Summer 2014; 2014–2016

NERA Economic Consulting, 2010–2013